Shawnee Community College recently hosted the Annual Young Writer’s Competition, which encourages high school students to submit their non-fiction, short fiction, and poetry pieces for the chance to win monetary prizes. The contest host Dr. Ryan Thornsberry commented, “This year, we had a significant number of student submissions including several from outside the region and even students from different states. We had many excellent submissions, and we are grateful that Covid-19 did not deter these young authors.”
The high school writing competition was divided into two divisions: the 9th/10th grades division and 11th/12th grades division. A 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place was awarded to both divisions in each of the three categories.
The winners are listed below:
9/10th Grade Non-fiction Essay
| 3rd Place | Ashlyn Pierson | “Disabilities” | Living Hope Fellowship Christian, Karnak | Ms. Treat | $25 |
| 2nd Place | Olivia Larrison | “Amazon Rainforest Fires” | Massac County High School | Ms. Felker | $50 |
| 1st Place | Bailey O’Neal | “A Small Fry” | Jackson High School, MO | Ms. Beckwith | $100 |
11/12th Grade Non-fiction Essay
| 3rd Place | James Cooper Shanks | “An Unforgettable Valentine’s Day” | Vienna High School | Ms. Bradley | $25 |
| 2nd Place | Makenna Wessell | “Opening the Doors of the Universe” | Jackson High School, MO | Ms. Beckwith | $50 |
| 1st Place | Damian Lee | “Keep Going” | Massac County High School | Ms. Greer | $100 |
9/10th Grade Fiction Essay
| 3rd Place | Anna Ahrens | “Noises in the Night” | Jackson High School, MO | Ms. Centanni | $25 |
| 2nd Place | Paige Chapman Zacher | “Once Upon a Time” | Portageville School District, MO | Mrs. Kellams | $50 |
| 1st Place | Abigail Smith | “The Unexpected Tragedy” | Shawnee High School | Ms. Phillips | $100 |
11/12th Grade Fiction Essay
| 3rd Place | Marissa Buehler | “The Girl Across the Street” | Jackson High School, MO | Ms. Geis | $25 |
| 2nd Place | Grace Watson | “When Dark Overtakes the Day” | Portageville School District, MO | Ms. Kellams | $50 |
| 1st Place | Zoei Blair | “Frederick the Froggy Prince” | Massac County High School | Mr. Cardon | $100 |
9/10th Grade Poetry
| 3rd Place | Rachel Davis | “Women” | Century High School | Ms. Womack | $25 |
| 2nd Place | William Beau-Hunter Warren | “Under Pressure” | Portageville School District, MO | Mrs. Kellams | $50 |
| 1st Place | Ray Zhang | “Subways” | Troy High School, MI | Ms. Parks | $100 |
11/12th Grade Poetry
| 3rd Place | Aubrey Fisher | “Decay” | Cobden High School | $25 | |
| 2nd Place | AJ Johnson | “Lost Souls” | Massac County High School | Mr. Cardon | $50 |
| 1st Place | Katie Johnson | “ The Woman in the Mirror” | Jackson High School, MO | Ms. Theiss | $100 |
We would like to congratulate all of these students on their hard work and dedication to creative writing. For more information, please contact Dr. Ryan Thornsberry at 618-634-3329 or ryant@shawneecc.edu.